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Priority Full-day Pre-K & Priority Full-day Pre-K & Expanded Half-day Pre-Expanded Half-day Pre-

K Grant ProgramK Grant Programfor High Need Studentsfor High Need Students

Priority Full-day Pre-K & Priority Full-day Pre-K & Expanded Half-day Pre-Expanded Half-day Pre-

K Grant ProgramK Grant Programfor High Need Studentsfor High Need Students

GettingGetting StartedStarted

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AGENDA• Review of Grant Purposes• Statutory Requirements• Overview of Applicable UPK Regulations• SIRS Coding• Budget Amendments• Moving from Half- to Full-day • Questions

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Purposes of PPK Grant1. Increase the availability of high

quality prekindergarten placements for the highest need children and schools within New York State’s public school districts.

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Purposes of PPK Grant2. Create new full-day

prekindergarten placements, convert existing half-day placements to full-day, or create a limited number of new half-day placements designated for higher need children in lower wealth school districts.

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Purposes of PPK Grant3. Enhance program quality by

requiring grantees to adopt program quality standards including valid and reliable measures of environmental quality, the quality of teacher-student interactions, and student outcomes.

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Statutory Requirements1. Teacher & principal evaluations –

Districts must have fully implemented new standards and procedures for APPR as required by Section 3012-c of Education Law.

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Statutory Requirements2. Length of school day

--At least 5 hours per school day for full-day programs

--Minimum 2.5 hours per school day for half-day programs

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Statutory Requirements3. Align curricula and instruction

with NYS Prekindergarten Foundation for the Common Core within three years

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Statutory Requirements4. Adopt approved quality indicators within two years

• Classroom Environment (3 standards)• Teaching Staff Qualifications (6 standards)• Curriculum Planning and Implementation (5

standards)• Child Screening and Assessment (5 standards)• Professional Development (6 standards)• Family Engagement and Supports (4 standards)• Transitions to Kindergarten (8 standards)

Webinar: March 26, 2014 2:00-4:00 PM

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Statutory Requirement5. Collaboration with community-

based organizations (CBOs): – Districts must use a minimum of 10% of

grant used to contract with CBO for instructional program.

– A variance may be granted based on evidence that the district is unable to develop a collaboration for reasons that are outside the control of the district.

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Statutory Requirement6. Evaluation Data:

Any measurement of student outcomes cannot be used to make high-stakes, educational decisions for individual children.

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Statutory Requirements7. Programs must comply with

all the same rules and requirements as Universal Prekindergarten programs--Apply to all Pre-K classrooms – public school operated and CBO operated

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Applicable UPK Regulations Section 151-1.3(a):Curriculum & Instruction• Adopt and implement curricula

aligned with State Learning Standards

• Pre-K learning standards found in NYS Prekindergarten Foundation for the Common Core

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NYS Pre-K Foundation to Common Core – 5 Domains1. Approaches to Learning2. Physical Development and Health3. Social and Emotional Development4. Communication, Language and

Literacy 5. Cognition and Knowledge of the

World

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Section 151-1.3(a):Curriculum & Instruction

• Ensure continuity of instruction in early elementary grades

• Integrated with K-Grade 12 instructional program

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Section 151-1.3(a):Curriculum & Instruction• Provide early literacy and

emergent reading instruction– Vocabulary development– Background knowledge– Expressive and receptive language– Phonological awareness– Phonemic awareness

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Section 151-1.3(a):Curriculum & Instruction• Activities must be learner-centered • Promote child’s overall growth and

development• Balanced schedule of teacher-

initiated and child-initiated activities• Learning centers• Intentional planning; differentiated

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Section 151-1.3(b): Assessments, Monitoring and Reporting• Must have a process to establish

developmental baseline and measure progress of children– Valid and reliable measure– Development of language, cognitive and

social skills– Used to inform instruction and professional

development, track program effectiveness

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Section 151-1(c):Health and Nutrition• Screened as new entrants

(Part 117 of Regulations)– Possibly gifted– Possibly a child with a disability– Possibly limited English

proficient

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Section 151-1(c):Health and Nutrition • Schools that are participating in

the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and/or School Breakfast Program (SBP) must follow Federal Regulations – If Pre-K child is present during times

meals are served must be provided meals

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Section 151-1(c):Health and Nutrition• If district does not participate in the

NSLP and/or SBP--

– If children present more than 3 hours - program must provide meals AND snacks

– If children present less than 3 hours - program must provide a nutritional meal OR snack

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Section 151-1(c):Health and Nutrition• Meals/Snacks – provided in

environment conducive to staff/child interaction

• At times appropriate to meet children’s needs

• Sufficient time for eating and interaction

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Section 151-1(d):Class Size • Maximum class size is 20

• Classes up to 18 require one teacher and one paraprofessional

• Classes of 19 or 20 require one teacher and two paraprofessionals

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Section 151-1(e):Staff Qualifications -

Teachers must have:

• NYS certification for early childhood grades (Birth-Grade 2; N, K-Grade 6)

OR2. NYS certification for students with

disabilities in the early childhood gradesOR

3. Uncertified CBO teachers must have a plan for obtaining NYS certification within 5 years

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Section 151-1(e):Staff Qualifications• Until all Pre-K teachers at CBO site

are certified, the CBO must have an education director with NYS certification on-site during the hours of Pre-K operation – Director certification can be in either

Early Childhood or Childhood Education

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Section 151-1.3(f):Fiscal & Program Oversight• District responsible for oversight of

fiscal and program requirements in both district-operated and CBO-operated classrooms

• Must ensure that identified deficiencies in both district and CBO sites are corrected

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Section 151-1.3(g): Professional Development

• Districts responsible for ensuring PD is provided to Pre-K teachers and staff in both district- and CBO-operated classrooms

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Section 151-1.3(h)Parent Involvement

• Must have procedures to encourage and ensure the active engagement of parents in education of their children

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Section 151-1.3(i):Support Services• Districts must provide, either

directly or through referral support services needed to support child’s participation in the classroom– In language of the parents – In collaboration with other community

providers and in non-duplicative manner

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Section 151-1.4:Program Design• Programs must be 5 days per week• Minimum of 180 days per year

• Exception for 2013-2014 due to delayed award approvals – must operate a minimum of 60 days

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Section 151-1.4:Program Design

• Must use random selection when there are more eligible children than available placements

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Section 151-1.4:Program Design

• The environment and learning activities of the prekindergarten program must be designed to promote inclusion and integration of preschool children with disabilities.

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Section 151-1.4:Program Design• The program must be designed to

ensure that participating children with limited English proficiency are provided equal access to the program and opportunities to achieve the same program goals and standards as other participating children.

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Section 151-1.6:Section 151-1.6:Competitive ProcessCompetitive Process• Must accept proposals from all interested

eligible agencies• Must select collaborating agencies through

a competitive process• Specific requirements and criteria to

consider in making selections in regulations• At least one site visit prior to contracting• Announce results at regular meeting of BOE

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Section 151-2.7:Space• Minimum of 30 square feet per

child of usable classroom space• Adequate indoor and outdoor

space for gross motor activities• On or close to the first floor• Bathroom in or in close proximity

to the Pre-K classroom

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Student Information Repository System (SIRS)• UPK Half-day to full-day

conversions: Remain coded as UPK; change half- to full-day

• New full-day and new half-day placements: Code as “Other” Pre-K; these are not UPK students

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Budget Amendments: FS-10A -- Due by May 1st

• Budget calculator – adjust budget amount based on days of operation and number of children being served

• Child Count – use highest number of children enrolled between the district’s enrollment date and April 30th

• Multiple sites with different start dates -Use earliest date

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Moving from Half-day to Full-day• Relaxed, less hurried school day• More innovative curriculum• Less time in large group• More time in child-initiated activities• More individualized instruction• Greater creativity

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Moving from Half-day to Full-day• Greater progress in social skills• More reinforcement of positive

behaviors• Higher self-esteem and

independence

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Schedule Considerations: Center/Choice Time• Minimum of 110 minutes for

center or child-selected activities– 1/3 of the day allotted for

center/choice time– Can be split into two parts (ex. 90

min AM/30 min PM)– Include small group activities as a

choice during this time

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Schedule Considerations:Circle Time• AM Circle Time – Introduce day

• PM Circle Time – Review day

• Short duration – 10 to 15 minutes maximum

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Schedule Considerations:Expanded Curriculum• Expanded day provides opportunity

to include curricular areas that are often neglected or “pushed out” by shorter day– Science/discovery– Social studies– Child-directed reading and writing time

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Schedule Considerations:Expanded Curriculum• More time to focus on physical

development and health activities– Outdoor play– Indoor gross motor play– Music and movement– Small motor skills– Cooking activities– Self care –hygiene; tooth brushing;

grooming– Appropriate rest period

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Schedule Considerations: Meals• Opportunity to better meet nutritional

needs of high need students

• Breakfast, lunch, snacks

• Minimum of 30 minutes provided for eating meals

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Schedule Considerations:Nap/Rest Time• Appropriate in full-day classrooms• Length varies over course of year as

children’s needs change• Individual cots/mats of appropriate size • Must maintain staffing at all times• Must provide choice of quiet activities• Rooms must be light enough to see and

move about safely

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Schedule Considerations:TransitionsLonger day = more transitions

• Plan transition activities to supplement instruction

• Keep children actively engaged; reduce idle waiting

– Songs – Fingerplays – Guessing Games – Movement Games – Chanting– Clapping Games – Reading Poems and short stories– Conversations

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Questions???

Office of Early Learningoel@mail.nysed.gov

(518) 474-5807